Time's Orphan
by The 18th Angel
Summary: Squall and Rinoa's daughter is kidnapped, leading to a journey around the world to find her. Why was she taken? By whom? And will Squall ever see his little girl again?
1. Gone in the Night

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Legal Stuff: Final Fantasy VIII doesn't belong to me. It's the property of Squaresoft. I feel better now. Actually wait; I don't own FFVIII or any other volume of the Final Fantasy series, meaning I'm not filthy rich. I feel a lot worse. Oh well, on with the story.

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Author's Note: I'm getting this out of the way right now. I am a Zell/Selphie fan. I know the majority of people are Irvine/Selphie. And I know there are numerous references to Zell's 'library girl' in the game. But none of that is really etched in stone. And this being fanfic... Well anyway, in this story Zell and Selphie are together. Deal with it.

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Another Note: I tried with all my might to find a year numbering system anywhere in FFVII, to no avail. That said; this story takes place eleven years after the game. I may make up a year at some point. Then again I may not. Either way, eleven years have passed since the end of the game. Also, although it may not seem so right now, the title will make sense (or at least almost-sense) eventually. I promise.

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**Time's Orphan**

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**By 18th Angel**

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**Chapter One:**

**Gone in the Night**

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      "...And when the Princess looked over, her Knight was there beside her, smiling."

      "And then what happened?"

      "They lived happily ever after, of course."

      "That's it?" Five-year-old Amara Leonhart looked up at her father with confusion and irritation in her eyes.

      Squall nodded. "That's it."

      "That's not a very good ending, Daddy." Amara said.

      "Well there _is_ a little bit more." Squall said. "But it's all mushy kissing."

      Amara scrunched up her face in a gesture of disgust. "Never mind then."

      Squall smiled and kissed his daughter lightly on the forehead. "Goodnight sweetie."

      "Goodnight Daddy." Amara said around a yawn.

      Squall crossed the room and flicked off the overhead light, leaving only the glow of Esthar at night to illuminate the bedroom; the world's biggest nightlight.

      "Is Mommy the Princess?"

      "What?" Squall turned at his daughter's question.

      "In your story." Amara said. "Mommy's the Princess and you're the Knight, right? And Mr. Irvine is the Cowboy. And Miss Quistis is the Teacher. And..."

      "You figure that out all by yourself?" Amara nodded. Squall shook his head, chuckling softly. "Guess I can't put anything past you, can I?"

      "Did you really go up into space?"

      "Would Daddy lie to you?"

      "No." Amara replied without hesitation.

      "Then I guess we must have gone into space." Squall said. "Now go to sleep."

      He almost made it out the door before the next question.

      "So is Mommy really a Sorceress?"

      That brought Squall up short. _Would Daddy lie to you?_

      "No. Not anymore." He said. "But I think she's pretty special anyway. Don't you?"

      "Uh-huh." Amara nodded.

      "Well I'm glad we're agreed. Now be a good girl and go to sleep."

      He left the door slightly ajar, switching off the hall light on his way to the master bedroom. 

      _Would Daddy lie to you?_ To protect Rinoa...in a heartbeat.

*   *   *   *   *

      "You have some trouble getting the little princess to sleep?" Rinoa asked as Squall entered their bedroom.

      Her husband shook his head. "That kid gets harder to entertain every day."

      Rinoa nodded. "And more inquisitive."

      Squall sighed heavily. "You heard, huh?"

      "I just...hate lying to our daughter, Squall."

      "So do I. But we have to for now." Squall said, taking Rinoa in his arms. "Imagine you're five years old and you find out you mother is a Sorceress. What would you do?"

      It was Rinoa's turn to sigh. "I'd probably run and tell all my friends."

      "And until Amara's old enough to know better, we can't tell her the truth."

      "I know. I know." Rinoa said. "It's just...so hard."

      Squall's response was to pull her closer to him, running his fingers through her long hair. "I know it is." He whispered.

      They'd had this conversation many times before on one level or another. Having to hide her true nature from almost everyone, even their own daughter, was sometimes more than Rinoa could bear. With the powers of a Sorceress, there was so much good she could do for the world. Unfortunately, they both knew that the world would not see it that way. The general population still saw any Sorceress as a threat to their safety. If the truth ever came out, that Rinoa didn't lose any of her powers when Ultimecia was destroyed, there were those who would inevitably wish to seal her away again. There was no way Squall would let that happen.

*   *   *   *   *

      Squall was awakened in the middle of the night by a loud, piercing scream. He sat bolt upright. Rinoa awoke an instant later. 

      "What was that?" She asked just as another scream pierced the silence. This time, Squall instantly recognized the source of the scream.

      "AMARA!"

      He was out of bed and down the hall in seconds. The door that he had left ajar was now closed. Squall didn't bother with the handle; whoever had closed the door would certainly have locked it too. He hit the door with his shoulder, putting all his weight against it. Three slams later, cursing whoever had built the Presidential Palace for putting in such thick doors, Squall stepped back. He hadn't actually been on duty as a SeeD in years, and maybe he was a little out of practice. But he always kept a few spells junctioned just in case. 

      Squall reached out and wove the Thunder spell, focusing the blast on the doorknob. The lock mechanism melted in an instant and splinters flew as nearly half of the door exploded inward. Squall rushed into the room. Amara's bed was empty, the covers cast aside.

      "DADDY!"

      Squall turned to the window. A man held Amara under one arm. The little girl kicked and fought, but it was useless against the big man.

      "Let her go!" Squall ordered.

      The kidnapper sneered at that and stepped out the window, not a wise move considering the sixty-story drop on the other side.

      "NO!"

      "DADDY! DADD---" His daughter's voice cut short abruptly.

      Horrified, Squall ran to the window and peered down, expecting to see the kidnapper, and his precious child, crumpled on the pavement of the courtyard below. Instead, he saw a shimmering disk a few stories below the window. Without pausing to think, Squall swung his leg over the window ledge and leapt out over the disk. Even before his feet left the ledge, the disk began to shrink. Suddenly, Squall found himself very high up, with a very long way to fall.

*   *   *   *   *

      When Squall stopped to blast open the door to Amara's room, Rinoa had run for the front door. As immediate family to the President of Esthar, they had an armed guard stationed outside their apartment. It used to make Rinoa nervous, now she thanked Hyne that the young officer was there. The guard must have heard Amara's screams, because he met her halfway in the living room, gun drawn.

      "Are you alright, ma'am?"

      "Hurry!" Rinoa yelled, dragging the soldier behind her. "Someone's in Amara's room!"

      They reached the bedroom just in time to see Squall leap out the open window. Rinoa ran to the window. There was no sign of Amara, only Squall falling toward the main courtyard. Aware that the guard was watching her, but completely unable to care, Rinoa reached out with her mind, tapping into the magical energies around her. If she was lucky, and the soldier was exceptionally stupid, he might mistake what she was doing for junctioned para-magic. Either way, she wasn't going to stop. She reached out a huge, invisible hand and caught Squall just before he smashed into the pavement.

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      The wind howled in Squall's ears as he fell. This certainly wasn't a way he had ever expected to die. Oddly, he wasn't afraid of death. He was angry, furious that he had failed to protect Amara.

      Just before he hit the ground, Squall was jarred to a halt. He hung in the air for a few seconds before falling the last few feet to the pavement. Feelings of frustration and powerlessness raged in him. Before he quite knew what he was doing, Squall was pounding the pavement of the courtyard with his fists. Soon his knuckles were bleeding. Pedestrians on a late night stroll past the Palace cast odd glances at the strange, pajama-clad man furiously assaulting the sidewalk, but he didn't care. He just wanted to keep beating the ground beneath him, imagining that he was actually punching the bastard that had stolen his daughter from him.

      "DAMN YOU!" He screamed. "GIVE HER BACK!"

*   *   *   *   *

      "I want us to be very clear on this, Captain. Mr. Leonhart did not jump out that window. The girl was gone when you reached the room and he was leaning out the window, but he _did not_ jump. And this is the important part; Mrs. Leonhart did _nothing_ out of the ordinary. Understood?"

      The soldier saluted sharply. "Yes Sir."

      "Dismissed." Kiros Seagill waved the young officer away and turned his attention back to the room's other occupants. Squall sat on the couch, his head hung, as a nurse bandaged his knuckles. Rinoa leaned against Ellone, crying quietly. Laguna sat hunched over the small table in the corner, trying to keep himself under control. The look on Squall's face, or lack thereof, said that Kiros wouldn't be getting any answers from him for a while. He didn't want to question Rinoa right now. But if they were going to have any chance at finding Amara, they would need all the information they could get.

      "Rinoa?" Rinoa lifted her head from her sister in law's shoulder. "Rinoa, I know you probably don't want to talk right now." Kiros continued. "But we need to know everything that happened in order to find Amara."

      "I don't know." Rinoa said. "By the time I reached the room...She was gone."

      "You didn't see anything unusual?"

      Rinoa couldn't speak any more. She silently shook her head.

      "It was a Sorceress." Squall's sudden burst of speech startled everyone.

      "What?" Kiros asked.

      Squall took his focus off the floor for a moment. "They used some kind of...teleportation spell. Only a Sorceress could have that kind of power."

      "But that's impossible." Kiros said. "I mean...there's only one Sorceress left."

      "Better make that two."

*   *   *   *   *

      Amara had passed out during the trip through the insane glowing tunnel. She awoke to the sounds of other kids crying. 

      Amara sat up and looked around. She was in a small room with bare metal walls and no windows. A single door was set into the far wall. There were kids all around her. Most of them seemed to be about Amara's age, with a few older and one or two even younger. The majority of the children were crying, calling for their parents, or simply sobbing wordlessly. Most of those who weren't crying were doing their best to console those who were. 

      "Hi." A tall girl with short black hair sat down next to Amara. "Are you okay?"

      "Where are we?"

      The other girl shrugged. "Who knows? They won't tell us."

      "They?"

      "The men. Like the one who took you. Whenever they bring a new one in somebody tries asking them, but they never answer and...asking gets you hit."

      "What do they want?"

      "Don't know that either." The girl confessed.

      "Oh."

      "What's your name?" The girl asked.

      "Amara...Amara Leonhart."

      "I'm Ariana." The tall girl replied. She hesitated. "...If you want to cry, go ahead. I'll stay here with you."

      Amara shook her head. "I'm not going to cry." She said. "My Daddy's gonna come get me, and he's gonna let everyone else go home too."

      "Is your daddy really strong?" Ariana asked.

      "Uh-huh."

      "What's he like?"

      "He's really brave and handsome." Amara said. "And he has a Gunblade. And he's got this really cool scar between his eyes. And..."  
  


      "You liar!" Both girls turned. A thin boy with unruly gray hair stood over them. "My Dad's the only guy in the world who can use a Gunblade. _And_ he's got a scar between his eyes. You're just trying to copy what I said before!"

      "Grow a brain, Vic!" Ariana yelled. "Amara hadn't gotten here yet when you told us that!"

      The wind seemed to go out of Vic's sails at that. "Yeah...Well..." He sputtered. "Well...My Dad's still gonna get here before hers!" He turned and stormed off to a corner of the room, where he sat, glaring at Amara.

      "Don't listen to Vic." Ariana said. "He's just a big dummy. He tries to act like he's braver than all of us, just 'cause he's the oldest." She leaned over and whispered conspiratorially. "But I heard him crying at night when he thought we were all asleep."

      "I wonder if it's true." Amara said.

      "What's true?" Ariana asked.

      "About his daddy."

      Ariana shrugged. "Probably. I guess everybody's parents are probably looking for them."

      "What about yours."

      "I don't think so." Ariana frowned slightly. "They've never tried to find me before."

*   *   *   *   *

      "Alright, Harm; this ain't funny anymore. It's so far past your bedtime, I don't even want to think about it." Irvine Kinneas told his four-year-old son. "I'm gonna be in there in two minutes to tuck you in, and I _expect_ you to be ready y'hear?"

      Irvine was about to continue when the phone rang. He sprinted across the small apartment, nearly killing himself when he tripped on a toy Moogle, and answered on the fourth ring.

      "Hello?"

      "Irvine?"

      "Squall?" Irvine was startled by the voice on the other end of the phone. He had spoken to Squall only a few weeks earlier, but his voice was different now. It reminded Irvine less of the Squall he knew know and more of how Squall had sounded when they first met eleven years earlier; cold, hollow, and utterly devoid of any positive feeling. "What's wrong?" He asked, for the dramatic reversion of Squall's voice assured him that something was immensely wrong.

      "Is Harm okay?"

      "He's fine." Irvine said, wondering why Squall would be calling to ask about Harm.

      "Stay with him." Squall said. "Don't let him out of your sight, even for a second. And you might want to get out of your apartment. Stay at a friend's house or something. Better yet, get Quistis to let you stay at Balamb Garden."

      "Squall, what the hell's goin' on?" Irvine demanded.

      Squall was silent for a long time. "I think...someone may be after our children." An even longer pause followed. "They took Amara."

      "Oh God...Squall...I..."

      "I'll call ahead of you and let Quistis know your coming." Squall said.

      "What are you gonna do?"

      Squall was silent again. "I'll find her." He said. "Somehow...I will get her back."

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TBC


	2. The Last Sorceress

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Legal Stuff: Not mine. That's all. Carry on.

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**Time's Orphan**

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**By 18th Angel**

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**Chapter Two:**

**The Last Sorceress**

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      Zell Dincht sat quietly with his elbows propped up on the table, gazing into the hollow eyes of his best friend. Three days had passed since the kidnapping. And every day, Squall slipped further back into the shell that it had taken all of his friends nearly three years to pull him out of. 

      "So how are we gonna find her?" He asked.

      "We?" Squall replied.

      "You think I'm gonna let ya do this on your own?" Zell asked.

      "You don't have to get involved." Squall said.

      "You don't seem to understand." Zell said. "I've got a personal stake in this. My daughter won't go to sleep at night because she's terrified that someone's gonna come and take her away. And I don't want to sleep because I'm terrified of the same damn thing! Hell, Selphie hasn't let go of Cyrus for more than a minute since we got your call! But even if none of that were the case, I'd still be coming with you."

      "Why?"

      It was the mark of how much losing Amara had shaken Squall that he even had to ask. "Because I'm your friend, dammit!" Zell yelled. "Because I was the Best Man at your wedding; because we're both SeeDs; because I'm Amara's godfather! Take your pick!"

      "Zell..."

      "Face it, Squall. If what you suspect is true, then you're gonna need all the help you can get. Even _you _can't take on a Sorceress by yourself."

      Squall nodded resignedly. "Fine." He said. "We'll need transportation. The faster the better."

      Zell grinned. "I think I know just the thing."

*   *   *   *   *

      Rinoa took the news surprisingly well. She didn't try to talk him out of it. She simply put her arms around him, hugging him tightly, and lay her head against his chest.

      "Please be careful, Squall." She whispered. "I can't...I can't lose you, too."

      Squall place a hand on either side of Rinoa's head, tilting her face up to look her in the eyes. "I'll get her back, Rinoa." He said. "I swear I'll find her."

      Rinoa forced a smile. She brought her lips up to his. Their slow, lingering kiss gradually deepened until they were interrupted by a semi-polite cough. Zell stood in the doorway looking nowhere near as embarrassed as he should have been at interrupting their intimate moment.

      "Sorry." Zell said. "We gotta go if we're gonna catch the train."

      Rinoa nodded and stepped back. "Be careful." She said.

      "I will." Squall assured her.

      "Take care of him, Zell."

      The blonde man smiled and brought his right hand up to his face in the SeeD salute. "You can count on me, ma'am."

*   *   *   *   *

      Selphie rode with them to the train station. As Zell had said, she barely put down their two-year-old son Cyrus for more than a few seconds at a time, as if letting him out of immediate contact would invite sinister forces to snatch him away. She also kept a close eye on the older of their two children, six-year-old Katarina.

      "Do you really have to go, Dad?" She asked from her seat on Zell's knee.

      "I'm afraid so, kiddo." Zell said.

      "When are you coming back?"

      "As soon as I can." Zell replied.

      "Take me with you!" The little girl said. "I can help! I've been practicing!" She threw a few punches at the air to add weight to her argument. "See."

      "Wow, you're gettin' good at that." Zell said. "In fact, it looks like you're the only one I can trust with the _really_ important job."

      "Really?" His daughter's eye's lit up.

      "Yep." Zell nodded.

      "What is it?" She asked.

      "I need you to stay here and help Mom with your little brother, okay?"

      "Aww Dad! Come on!"

      "I'm serious, Kat." Zell said. "I need you to be a big girl and take care of Cyrus. Can you do that for me?"

      The girl sighed. "But..." She said, tears hanging on the edges of her bright green eyes.

      "Hey, Kat." Squall said. "You like dogs?" The sentence sounded a little odd in his ears, but what Zell and Selphie named their children was their own business.

      "Uh...yeah. I mean, yes sir." Kat replied politely.

      "Well there's a really great dog back at my house who's gonna be kind of lonely without me there. You think you could keep him company?"

      Kat perked up immediately. "Sure!" She said enthusiastically.

      "All right." Squall said. "I'm counting on you now."

*   *   *   *   *

      Rolin Moran was the kind of guy who was on the job twenty-four hours a day. News didn't punch a clock and neither did he. So as annoying as it was to be summoned to a seedy bar at four in the afternoon on a Saturday, he put up with it because he smelled a story.

      His companion sat across from him in the most isolated booth possible, nursing a beer. Rolin had declined the pretty waitress' offer to get him something; he didn't plan on hanging around that long. 

      He had just happened to meet this man a few years earlier at his wife's high school reunion. He had been delighted when the man accepted his business proposition. Now it seemed that the seeds he had planted then were finally bearing fruit.

      "I assume I'm here for a reason." Rolin prompted the officer.

      "The President's granddaughter was kidnapped recently." 

      "Tell me something every news man in Esthar _doesn't_ know."

      "I was there when it happened."

      Rolin sighed. "Thrilling for you, I'm sure." He said flatly. "But it won't sell papers." He made a move to leave. The officer stopped him.

      "Hold it." He said. "This story gets better."

      Rolin nodded and sat again. 

      "How much do you know about the girl's parents?"

      "The Leonharts?" Rolin shrugged. "They're both heroes. They were in that group of SeeDs that stopped the last Sorceress. Beyond that, not much." Actually, Squall and Rinoa Leonhart, along with the rest of the group that had ended the war, were among the few people considered 'untouchable' by his publication.

      "Her mother's the Sorceress Rinoa, right?"

      "Well, _was_. They say she lost all her powers after the war."

      "That is what they say..." The younger man left the sentence hanging in the air. The implication was crystal clear.

      "What did you see?"

*   *   *   *   *

      "Okay, Kat." Zell said, lifting his daughter in his arms and hugging her tightly. "Be a good girl and mind your mother."

      "Don't go Daddy!" Kat cried.

      "I'm sorry, sweetie. I have to go."

      "But what if the people who took Amara come back when you're gone?"

      "Don't you worry." Zell said. "You'll still have Mom with you. If anyone tries to get near you, she'll give 'em the beating of their lives."

      Kat wrapped her arms tightly around her father's neck. "I love you, Daddy."

      "I love you too, baby." Zell gently set Kat down and approached his wife. Selphie shifted the sleeping Cyrus into one arm and returned Zell's embrace with he free arm. "You sure you're okay with this?" Zell asked.

      After a moment's hesitation, Selphie nodded. "Squall needs your help." She smiled. "Just be quick about it."

      Zell nodded and kissed her lightly. Another kiss quickly followed. And another. Zell grinned. "I'll definitely get this done quick." He said. "I'm gonna miss doing that _way_ too much."

*   *   *   *   *

      "Which one of you is Amara Leonhart?"

      The voice woke Amara from an already fitful slumber. Her body was cold and her neck stiff from sleeping on the metal floor.

      "I said, which one of you kids is Amara Leonhart? I'm not gonna ask again!"

      A tall man stood in the doorway. He looked impatient.

      "How about this; if Amara doesn't raise her hand by the time I count to three, nobody eats today! One...Two..."

      Amara stood up. Ariana tried to stop her, but Amara shook her off. She raised her hand above her head.

      "Good girl." The tall man crossed the room, grabbed Amara roughly by the wrist and dragged her to the door.

      "Ow! Lemme go!" Amara yelled. "I've been walking on my own since I was two!" Despite her protests, the man did not let go. He dragged her out into a huge, circular hallway. A gaping hole filled the center of the chamber, lined only by a short railing. Looking up, Amara saw dozens of hallways like this one going up endlessly until they disappeared in darkness. Looking down offered a similar view, endless levels down with no visible bottom.

      The tall man pulled Amara into a small room suspended in the middle of the central shaft on some kind of crane. Another man waited inside. He pressed a few buttons and the elevator shot up, shuddering violently from the speed of its ascent. A minute or so later, they jarred to a halt and Amara was once again on her feet, being dragged into an straight hallway. There was only blank ceiling above, so Amara assumed they must be at the top of the building. 

      Her 'guide' pulled her into a darkened room at the end of the hallway. The blank metal walls were draped with multi-colored silks and the overhead lights forsaken in favor of hundreds of candles. An ornate throne stood on a raised platform in the middle of the room. A girl, much older than Amara but not quite old enough to be considered a grown-up, lounged in the throne.

      "Bring her to me." Her voice was soft, luxurious, but deadly at the same time, like the hissing of a poisonous snake. The men wasted no time in dragging Amara before her. Up close, Amara could see what the soft candlelight had obscured. The girl was inhumanly beautiful. Her only imperfections were the bulging veins that framed her otherwise flawless face. 

      More than that, she seemed to radiate...something, some sort of power. There was no word Amara knew to describe it. She had felt the same thing from her mother once or twice before; but in her mother's case, the power, or whatever it was, was always warm and serene. This girl's power was distant, unfeeling, and painfully cold. Amara found herself backing away involuntarily.

      "**Stay where you are.**" The girl's voice had lost all its former softness. Amara felt a terrifying chill creep through her bones. She couldn't move. The power of the voice resonating in her mind held her in place.

      "**Come here, little girl.**" Just as she had been rooted to the floor, Amara now felt compelled to approach the older girl. She didn't want to, tried with all her might not to, but her feet seemed to move on their own accord, carrying her against her will up the stairs toward the throne.

      Amara turned her head away; she didn't want to look into those cold eyes again. The girl took Amara's chin in one hand, gently but firmly, and turned her head back to face her.

      "Do you know who I am, little girl?"

      "You're a Sorceress." Amara whispered. That was the only thing the girl could be; but not a good Sorceress like her mother had been. She was bad, like the Evil Sorceress from the future in her father's stories. But hadn't her father said that all the Sorceresses were gone? Even her mother was just a normal person now. Amara knew that Daddy would never lie to her, so he must not have known about this girl.

      "Very good." The Sorceress replied. "I am the Sorceress Adjani, handmaid to the great Ultimecia. And you are Amara Leonhart, child of the Sorceress Rinoa and her Knight, who sought to destroy my Mistress. Together, we will give my Mistress new life!"

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TBC


	3. Heroes and Villains

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Legal Stuff: Look, I didn't own FF8 last time you asked, and I still don't. Do I have to keep repeating myself? What do you people want from me? Fine! I'm a bad person, okay! Are you happy now? ::sobs quietly in corner::

Sorry about that, I feel a lot better now. Enjoy the story.

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Time's Orphan 

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By 18th Angel 

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Chapter Three Heroes and Villains 

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      Passing through the archway into the cavernous first floor hallway, Zell was hit by a wave of nostalgia. Balamb Garden was exactly as her remembered it. The plants that adorned the main hall were pruned to perfect symmetry. The water below the raised walkway was as calm and clear as a sheet of glass. The marble floor was polished to the point where it could be used as a mirror. The only thing that looked different were the people. Everyone Squall and Zell had gone to school with had long since graduated, either into college and 'real life' or into SeeD. The Garden was now full of fresh young faces, much younger than either man could ever imagine himself having been. 

      Zell stopped a young SeeD cadet who walked by them.

      "'Scuse me. Where can we find Headmaster Trepe?"

      The girl's eyes widened when she saw who was asking her. Obviously when she had woken up that morning she hadn't expected to have two of the most famous SeeDs ever asking her for directions. 

      "Uh...Sh-She's in h-h-her of-office...S-Sir." She said, eyes fixed firmly on her shoes, her voice barely coming above a whisper. "On th-the th-th-third..."

      "Thanks." Zell smiled. "I remember now."

      "Y-y-yes Sir." The girl saluted quickly and hurried away.

      "I think I scared her." Zell said in disbelief.

      "Did you see those gloves she had on?" Squall asked. "You're probably a hero of hers."

      "Oh, I'm _so_ not hero material."

      "You don't have to tell me." Squall said with a slight chuckle.

      Zell smiled at that. Taking actual action to find Amara seemed to be helping Squall a lot. He was quickly getting back to his normal self again.

*   *   *   *   *

      "Squall!" Quistis stood and ran to Squall when they entered her office. She threw her arms around Squall and hugged him tightly. "Irvine just told me." She said. "Are you all right?"

      "I'll be better once I find her." Squall said. 

      Quistis nodded and gave one more reassuring squeeze before letting go of Squall.

      "Hey; how 'bout a little sugar for Zell?"

      Quistis laughed and embraced Zell warmly. "It's good to see you again, Zell."

      "You too." Zell replied. "I just it were under better circumstances."

      "Yeah."

      "I'm guessing there's been no word?" Squall hadn't noticed Irvine in the room, though he guessed he should have expected him to be there. Irvine sat in one of the two chairs across from Quistis' desk, his son asleep in his lap.

      "Nothing." Squall said. "No ransom notes. No phone calls... Nothing."

      "I just can't believe anyone would do that." Quistis said. "Who would ever want to hurt Amara?"

      "I don't think it's Amara they're trying to hurt." Squall replied. "At least, I keep praying it's not."

      "Tell me what you need." She said. "I'll do everything I can."

      Squall nodded. "We need the Ragnarok."

*   *   *   *   *

      "Together, we will return my Mistress Ultimecia from the void your parents banished her to." Adjani said. "Then, the great Ultimecia will reward me, her loyal servant. She will take me home, back to where I belong."

      "I'm not going to help you." Amara said defiantly. "You're crazy!"

      "What a rude little girl you are." Adjani said. "Don't you want to go home, Amara?"

      Amara nodded.

      "Well that's all I want. And you've only been here a few days. I haven't seen my home in eleven years. I was your age when your parents and their friends stranded me here! Here in this...ugly...primitive world!" She grabbed Amara roughly on either side of her head, pulling her closer until their faces were mere inches apart. 

      "We _will_ resurrect my Mistress, Amara! You _will_ help me go home! WHETHER YOU WANT TO OR NOT!" With a final, wordless scream, Adjani shoved her away. Amara lost her balance and tumbled down the stairs to the bottom of the platform. Amara landed roughly, banging the back of her head on the metal floor. Tears sprang to her eyes. She fought to keep them from spilling out.

      "Why are you...so mean?"

      "I don't have time to be nice." Adjani said coldly. "My Mistress has waited too long already." She motioned to the two guards. "Take her to the Altar."

      "Yes, my Queen." The two men said in unison. The grabbed Amara by the arms and pulled her toward the back of the throne room. Amara didn't know what was supposed to happen at 'the Altar', but it couldn't be anything good.

      "No!" She tried to pull away from her captors. "Let me go!"

      "**BE STILL!**" Adjani's voice echoed through the chamber. Amara felt her blood turn to ice. The Sorceress' power slammed into her, chilling her to the bone. All the strength went out of Amara. She tried to keep struggling, but her muscles wouldn't respond. 

      Beyond the throne lay an ornate stone altar. Magical runes and symbols were carved into every surface of the altar. One of the guards lifted Amara up and set her down on a raised platform next to the altar. He kept a firm hand on her shoulder to keep her from escaping. The top of the altar was draped with crimson silk. A small bowl of pure gold sat on the altar. More runes and sigils were carved into the bowl. 

      "**Arm.**"

      With no help from her, Amara's arm stretched out over the golden bowl. Reaching into her robe, Adjani pulled out a knife. The blade was the same gold as the bowl, and the hilt covered with brilliant jewels. At the sight of the blade, Amara tried to get away. But even though the guard had let go of her and she could control her body again, her arm remained immobile. She struggled, but it was as if she was held in an invisible vise.

      She squeezed her eyes shut as Adjani brought the blade toward her. 

      "Don't worry." Adjani said. "I only need a little blood. The last thing I want is for you to be injured."

      Amara had been as brave as she could be. She screamed when she felt the knife slice across her fingertips. Tears poured down her cheeks as ragged sobs tore through her.

      "That's good." Adjani said a few moments later. "That's all we need for now." Amara felt a warm sensation spread through her fingers. Opening her eyes, she saw Adjani holding her hand. A bright green glow passed between their hands. When the glow subsided, Adjani let go and Amara dared to glance at her fingertips. There was no sign of injury; the cuts were gone. A small pool of Amara's blood filled the bottom of the golden bowl.

      "A little bit of your blood." Adjani said, more to herself than to Amara. "And..." She slowly drew the knife across her palm, hissing slightly at the pain. She held her hand over the bowl, letting her blood fill it completely. "...a lot of mine."

      Adjani's hand glowed for a moment. The deep knife wound sealed itself perfectly; the only evidence that Adjani had ever cut herself was the blood on her palm. Taking a deep breath, Adjani cleaned the blood off of her hand with a single lick. She seemed to be suppressing a gag reflex as she swallowed her own blood.

      Waving her hands slowly over the bowl, Adjani began chanting in a strange language. As she spoke, the symbols etched into the altar and bowl began to glow. The blood in the bowl bubbled and steamed, boiling away until only a thin layer lay in the bottom. Adjani reached into her robes once again and pulled out a handful of small stones with more runes carved into them. She tossed the stones haphazardly into the bowl and examined where they fell.

      After a moment, Adjani sighed and stepped back. "Just as I suspected." She said. "She does not have the power yet. We'll need the others." She left the altar and sank back into her throne, suddenly looking incredibly tired. "Take her back. And bring me the Knight."

      "Yes, my Queen."

*   *   *   *   *

      --Begin Aerial Combat Simulation--

      A series of TV screens set into the wall of the control room showed a group of teenagers piloting the Ragnarok in some sort of dogfight.

      "So you use it as a simulator now?" Squall asked.

      Quistis shrugged. "We were lucky just to get the ship at all." She said. "A crew was a bit too much to ask for. So we're training the new SeeD cadets to pilot it. The simulation program is built-in."

      "So are your students gonna be terribly disappointed if we take it off their hands for a few days?" Zell asked.

      "Where did you get the idea that you're taking it off their hands?" Quistis asked.

      "I thought you said we could take it." Zell said.

      "I said you could _use_ it." Quistis replied. "_They're_ flying it."

      "Not a chance." Squall said.

      "Not a debatable issue." Quistis shot back.

      "You understand what's happening here, don't you?" Squall said. "We're going up against a Sorceress we know nothing about. You remember what that's like? Those kids aren't even SeeDs yet!"

      "They're only a week away from their entrance exam." Quistis said. "Besides; can you fly the Ragnarok?"

      "Well...no."

      "Zell?"

      "Not really?"

      Irvine shook his head silently.

      "Well I can't either." Quistis said. "Now, would you like to meet your crew?"

*   *   *   *   *

      The four cadets were lined up in front of the Ragnarok's entrance ramp. With one exception, they all stood tall and proud. The lone male of the group seemed especially excited. 

      "These are our top cadets." Quistis said. "Alexandra Morningstar." She gestured to the tall, dark-skinned gunner. "Nesta Henely." The petite, brown haired girl who had sat in the pilot's seat nodded respectfully. "Morgan Stormaire." The copilot, a big, goofy looking boy with wild black hair smiled and saluted directly to Squall. "And Agnessa Levine." The navigator turned out to be the same cadet Zell had spoken to earlier. She looked down at her shoes and gave them a slight nod, never actually daring to meet their eyes.

      "The four of you are dismissed." Quistis continued. "Report back here at 0800 for pre-flight."

      The four cadets saluted and made their way out into the main hall. All except for Morgan. The boy wore the look of an excited puppy as he practically ran to where Squall stood.

      "You're him right?"

      "Depends who 'he' is." Squall replied coolly.

      "You're Squall Leonhart."

      "Yes."

      "Oh wow!" The kid seemed short of breath. "It's such an honor to meet you, Sir! I've read all about you! About how you beat the Sorceress and how you stopped Time Compression and...everything. And I'm just so anxious to be working with you and I promise I won't let you down. I mean, I know I'm not an actual SeeD yet, but I've been training really hard and I'm even learning to use a gunblade just like yours. Well, not _exactly_ like yours, it's a really cheap one, but I'm getting pretty good with it. I mean, not as good as you, but then who is, right?" 

      He took a deep breath before launching into more speech.

      "And don't worry about us piloting the Ragnarok for you, Sir. 'Cause no one knows that ship like the four of us. I mean, we could pilot it blindfolded, no problem. Especially Nesta, she's just amazing. And I think Agnessa actually memorized a map of the world so anywhere you wanna go, we can get there in..."

      Squall glanced around desperately for someone to rescue him.

      "Mr. Stormaire." Quistis interrupted.

      Morgan whipped around and stood at attention.

      "Shouldn't you be getting packed?"

      "Oh, right. Yes Headmistress. Sorry. I didn't mean to..."

      "Just go, Morgan."

      "Yes Ma'am." Morgan seemed reluctant to drag himself away from Squall but he followed orders. 

      As soon as the door slid closed behind Morgan, Zell and Irvine fell to the floor laughing. 

      "Oh, money can't buy that kinda comedy!" Irvine roared.

      "Squall...You should have...seen your face!" Zell could barely talk, he was laughing so hard. "I've never...seen you so frightened...in my entire...life!"

      "What is that kid on?" Squall asked.

      "Just a healthy dose of hero worship." Quistis replied. "He's been like that ever since he got here."

      "I'd still check his dorm for drugs if I was you."

      "Be kind." Quistis replied. "The kid's had it rough. He never had an actual father figure in his life, so he just sort of...adopted you. There are certainly worse people he could have picked to emulate."

      "Does he ever calm down?" Squall asked hopefully.

      Quistis shrugged. "I guess he's got to sleep some time."

*   *   *   *   *

      "Nesta! Hey, Nesta!" Nesta turned to see Morgan running to catch up with her. She rolled her eyes.

      "Do you realize who that was?" Morgan demanded.

      "No Morgan, I have no idea. Who was it?"

      Morgan completely missed her sarcasm. "That's Squall Leonhart!" He said.

      "Oh good. Your stalking can move into the 'active' phase now."

      "I wonder what he needs the Ragnarok for."

      "I'm sure he just wanted to hang out with you for a few days, Morgan."

      Once again, her sarcastic reply sailed right over Morgan's head. "You really think so."

      Nesta sighed. Clearly wits weren't going to work here. She would just have to be direct. "Morgan, _I beg you_ not to embarrass us around those guys. I don't think Agnessa would survive looking bad in front of Zell Dincht.

      "What do you mean, 'embarrass'?" Morgan asked. "I just want to know why he's here."

      Nesta sighed. "Okay, here's the deal." She said. "If you promise to leave Squall alone unless he talks to you first, I will perform a Herculean labor and convince Agnessa to go to the dance with you after our SeeD exam. Deal?"

      Morgan thought about that for a moment. He seemed to be weighing the chance to talk his personal hero to death against the opportunity to dance with their beautiful, but painfully shy navigator. 

      "You really think she'd go with me?" He asked.

      "I think I can chip through the shell for one night." Nesta said. "But _only_ if you pretend to be normal until this mission is over."

      "Well..." Morgan's internal conflict was obvious. He'd had his eyes on Agnessa for years, but had yet to find a way to approach her. On the other hand, he had idolized Squall Leonhart for most of his life. In the end, his hormones won. He nodded.

      "So we have a deal?" Nesta asked.

      "Yeah." Morgan said. "Deal."

*   *   *   *   *

TBC


End file.
